When we lived in New York in our 20s, my dad and his wife Jenn, lived across the park. They would have BBQs every weekend in the summer and Jenn always made this refreshing and delicious summer watermelon salad. I’ve requested it for my birthday every year since! The sweet cool watermelon, tangy feta, and herbacious pesto somehow mix together into perfection.

It takes only a few minutes to make but will impress your guests every time. Pair it with my 10-minute summer berry pie for a 4th of July BBQ.

Pro tip: make this as close to party time as possible because it begins to go seriously downhill after about 2 hours of sitting in its juices

And take it up a notch by making your own basil pesto with my famous pesto recipe.

Summer Watermelon Salad Recipe

Ingredients:
– 6 cups watermelon, cubed
– 2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half
– 1 cup feta cheese, cubed
– 1/2 cup basil pesto
– Optional: 1 jalapeno pepper, minced
– Salt and olive oil to taste
– Fresh basil for garnish

Directions:
1. Mix watermelon, tomato, feta, pesto, and (optional) jalapeno in a large bowl
2. Stir in olive oil and salt, tasting until it’s right
3. Garnish with basil leaves
4. Enjoy!

Photo by Julia Dags.